The Jew of Malta
have a hand in this.Barabas Ay, so thou shalt, ’tis thou must do the deed:
Take this, and bear it to Mathias straight, Gives a letter.
And tell him that it comes from Lodowick.Ithamore ’Tis poisoned, is it not?
Barabas No, no, and yet it might be done that way:
It is a challenge feigned from Lodowick.Ithamore Fear not; I will so set his heart afire,
That he shall verily think it comes from him.Barabas I cannot choose but like thy readiness:
Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly.Ithamore As I behave myself in this, employ me hereafter.
Barabas Away, then.
Exit Ithamore. So; now will I go in to Lodowick,
And, like a cunning spirit, feign some lie.
Till I have set ’em both at enmity.Exit. Act III
Scene I
Enter Bellamira. 46 Bellamira Since this town was besieged, my gain grows cold:
The time has been, that but for one bare night,
A hundred ducats have been freely given:
But now against my will I must be chaste;
And yet I know my beauty doth not fail.
From Venice merchants, and from Padua
Were wont to come rare-witted gentlemen,
Scholars I mean, learned and liberal;
And now, save Pilia-Borza, comes there none,
And he is very seldom from my house;
And here he comes.Enter Pilia-Borza. Pilia-Borza Hold thee, wench, there’s something for thee to spend. Shews a bag of silver.
Bellamira ’Tis silver. I disdain it.
Pilia-Borza Ay, but the Jew has gold,
And I will have it, or it shall go hard.Bellamira Tell me, how cam’st thou by this?
Pilia-Borza ‘Faith, walking the back-lanes, through the gardens, I chanced to cast mine eye up to the Jew’s counting-house, where I saw some bags of money, and in the night I clambered up with my hooks, and, as I was taking my choice, I heard a rumbling in the house; so I took only this, and run my way: but here’s the Jew’s man.
Bellamira Hide the bag.
Enter Ithamore. Pilia-Borza Look not towards him, let’s away; zoons, what a looking thou keep’st; thou’lt betray’s anon.
Exeunt Bellamira and Pilia-Borza. Ithamore O, the sweetest face that ever I beheld! I know she is a courtesan by her attire: now would I give a hundred of the Jew’s crowns that I had such a concubine.
Well, I have delivered the challenge in such sort,
As meet they will, and fighting die; brave sport.Exit. Scene II
Enter Mathias. 47 Mathias This is the place; now Abigail shall see
Whether Mathias holds her dear or no.Enter Lodowick. What, dares the villain write in such base terms? Looking at a letter.
Lodowick I did it; and revenge it, if thou dar’st!
They fight.Enter Barabas above, on a balcony. Barabas O! bravely fought; and yet they thrust not home.
Now, Lodovico! now, Mathias! So—
Both fall.
So, now they have shewed themselves to be tall 48 fellows.Cries within. Part ’em, part ’em!
Barabas Ay, part ’em now they are dead. Farewell, farewell!
Exit. Enter Ferneze, Katharine, and Attendants. Ferneze What sight is this!—my Lodovico slain!
These arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre.Katharine Who is this? my son Mathias slain!
Ferneze O Lodowick! hadst thou perished by the Turk,
Wretched Ferneze might have ’venged thy death!Katharine Thy son slew mine, and I’ll revenge his death.
Ferneze Look, Katharine, look!—thy son gave mine these wounds.
Katharine O, leave to grieve me, I am grieved enough.
Ferneze O! that my sighs could turn to lively breath;
And these my tears to blood, that he might live.Katharine Who made them enemies?
Ferneze I know not, and that grieves me most of all.
Katharine My son loved thine.
Ferneze And so did Lodowick him.
Katharine Lend me that weapon that did kill my son,
And it shall murder me.Ferneze Nay, madam, stay; that weapon was my son’s,
And on that rather should Ferneze die.Katharine Hold; let’s inquire the causers of their deaths,
That we may ’venge their blood upon their heads.Ferneze Then take them up, and let them be interred
Within one sacred monument of stone;
Upon which altar I will offer up
My daily sacrifice of sighs and tears,
And with my prayers pierce impartial heavens,
Till they reveal the causers of our smarts,
Which forced their hands divide united hearts:
Come, Katharine, our losses equal are;
Then of true grief let us take equal share.Exeunt with the bodies. Scene III
Enter Ithamore. 49 Ithamore Why, was there ever seen such villany,
So neatly plotted, and so well performed?
Both held in hand, and flatly both beguiled?Enter Abigail. Abigail Why, how now, Ithamore, why laugh’st thou so?
Ithamore O mistress, ha! ha! ha!
Abigail Why, what ail’st thou?
Ithamore O, my master!
Abigail Ha!
Ithamore O mistress! I have the bravest, gravest, secret, subtle, bottle-nosed knave to my master, that ever gentleman had!
Abigail Say, knave, why rail’st upon my father thus?
Ithamore O, my master has the bravest policy.
Abigail Wherein?
Ithamore Why, know you not?
Abigail Why, no.
Ithamore Know you not of Mathias’ and Don Lodowick’s disaster?
Abigail No, what was it?
Ithamore Why, the devil inverted a challenge, my master writ it, and I carried it, first to Lodowick, and imprimis to Mathias.
And then they met, and, as the story says,
In doleful wise they ended both their days.Abigail And was my father furtherer of their deaths?
Ithamore Am I Ithamore?
Abigail Yes.
Ithamore So sure did your father write, and I carry the challenge.
Abigail Well, Ithamore, let me request thee this,
Go to the new-made nunnery, and inquire
For any of the friars of Saint Jaques,
And say, I pray them come and speak with me.Ithamore I pray, mistress, will you answer me to one question?
Abigail Well, sirrah, what is’t?
Ithamore A very feeling one; have not the nuns fine sport with the friars now and then?
Abigail Go to, sirrah sauce! is this your question? get ye gone.
Ithamore I will, forsooth,